Article handling mechanism



sept. 29, 1953 O. SANDBERG ARTICLE HANDLING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 5, 1950 Naw.

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Sept' 29, 1953 o; SANDBERG y ARTICLE HANDLING MECHANISM 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1950 Sept. 29, 1953 o. sANDBERG ARTICLE HANDLING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 5, 1950 figa Patented Sept. 29, 1953 ARTICLE HANDLING MECHANISM Oscar Sandberg, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Lynch Corporation, Anderson, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application September 5, 1950, Serial No. 183,189

3 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for handling articles and particularly cookies or socalled "sands/iones consisting of two crackers with a filling of peanut butter or the like, the mechanism moving the articles against a Vsheet of wrapping paper and upwardly through a folding way, and handling the articles in such manv ner that folder blades may thereafter complete the wrapping of the wrapper around the articles without the necessity of providing for the articles a support such as a flat or channel-shaped cardboard.

One object of the invention is to modify the construction of the pockets of a pocket conveyor, the elevating ram for the articles, and a supporting means for the articles after they have been moved through a folding way of the type shown for example in my Patents No. 2,208,776 of July 23, 1940, and No. 2,283,097 of May 12, 1942.

Another object is to modify particular elements of the wrapping machine of the latter patent, specifically the pockets of a pocket conveyor, the head of an elevating ram, and a supporting means for the articles so that two stacks of cookies or sandwiches may be wrapped sideby-side the pocket of the pocket conveyor and the article-engaging means of the ram being arranged to overlap each other beyond the center lines or centers of gravity of the two stacks to prevent them from toppling out of the ends of s the pocket and/or toppling toward each other when supported on the ram when no cardboard or similar support for the articles is wrapped in each package thereof.

A further object is Ito provide a supporting bar for the articles after the wrapping thereof has been completed with the exception of the bottom surfaces of the articles, which supporting means is also designed to prevent toppling of the articles in the partially wrapped wrapper.

With these and other obj ects in View, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my article handling mechanism, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of approximately the upper central portion of Figure 2 of my Patent No. 2,283,097, `and showing a wrapping machine having parts which are modified when compared with the previous patent for the purpose of handling cookies or sandwiches instead of candy bars as disclosed therein.

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the pockets of the pocket conveyor of the wrapping machine on the indicated line 2--2 of Figure 1, two stacks of cookies or sandwiches being shown dotted therein. l

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure l, showing the articles supported in a pocket of the pocket conveyor prior to the elevation of a ram to lift them through a folding way of the machine.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing the parts in a different position, to-wit, with the articles partially wrapped.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views showing the wrapping steps specifically as follows:

Figure 5-the front and back flaps folded channel-shaped due to elevation of the ram,

Figure -the package wrapped with the exception of the bottom flaps due to the ram raising the wrapper and its contents through a folding Way,

Figure 'l-the bottom end flaps completed and the beginning of the rear bottom flap,

Figure 8--the front bottom flap being wrapped by reason of the package being pushed on to a platform.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 6 and;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic plan view of the articles and a supporting bar of Figure 9.

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral I2 to indicate a supporting frame and I3 a table top thereon. The table top 3 has an opening I4 therein through which the contents for a package are adapted to be elevated by a ram as will hereinafter appear. The wrapper for the articles is indicated at I5.

A pocket conveyor chain is illustrated at I6 and passes over a sprocket I'I. The chain I6 is driven intermittently as disclosed in my prior patents and since the mechanism for accomplishing the intermittent drive forms no part of my present invention, it has not been here illustrated.

Supported on the chain I 6 is a plurality of pockets I 8. Each pocket I8 is channel-shaped, the web being shown at I9 and the flanges at 20. The pockets I8 are secured to the chain I6 as by rivets 2i through perforated ears 22 of the chain.

In Figure 2 I have shown two stacks of articles at 23. These are illustrated as round cookies or sandwiches having center lines indicated at 2li. The center lines indicate the centers of gravity of the stacks of articles, which articles may of course be any shape such as square, octagonal, round with fluted peripheres, etc. I have also illustrated a ram in which vertical bars 26 are reciprocated vertically as disclosed in my previous patents and I provide them adjacent their upper ends with supporting flanges 21 and 28.

It will be noted in Figure 2 that the Web I9 of the pocket '|13 lis Ynotched. at 2 8 and 30. It will also be noted that ends of the web extend outwardly beyond the center lines 24 and that the flanges 21 and 28 extend inwardly beyond these center lines. It is therefore obvious .fihatdue ,to this p-eculiar construction, the articles 23 maybe supported either in the pocket [8 r-or Qrithe'ram anges 21 and 28 without toppliner outwardly in the one case or toward each other in the other case. This eliminates the necessity of providing a cardboard or other support for the articles as when the inner limit of the ram elements l,2.1 .and 28 are short enough to clear the outer end limits of ythe web |-9 if Ait were runnotched and made shortenough to clear the ramelements as would otherwise be necessary. Accordinglyitis possible to wrap the articles more economically as it is unnecessary to provide supporting cards, either flat lor channel-shaped, for the `articles when there are two .stacks of them side-by-side as illustrated.

In Figures l and 3, the ram v2511s illustrated in lowered position -andone of the pockets is illusf trated in vposition for .the yram to engage the articles therein and lift Ythem through the opening |4 against the wrapper l5 and thereafter lift the articles and wrapper .through a folding way 3|. The first action in the folding way is to bend the wrapper ,l5 :into channel shape as shownin Figure 5 and to aid in ,this respect the ram 25 vhas creasing plates 32v projecting. abovethe anges 21 and 23 to support the lwrapper without the-necessity of the articles having to do so, which would tend to crush the articles. This arrangement provides a wrapper `package that is neatly squared off at the ends as disclosed in my prior patents.

In Figurei I haveshownby dot-and-dash lines the position of the wrapped articles and wrapper corresponding to Figure 5. As the package being wrapped is elevated through the folding way 3|, folder blades 33 atthe ends of the folding way cause the ends ofthe wrapperto be folded down as illustrated in Figures 6 and 9. The wrapper and its contents will then be in the positionillustrated in Figure 4.

It is now necessary to provide means tosupport the articles while the rarn is being retracted. This means consists of a supporting bar 34 formed on an arm 35 secured to a rock shaft 36. The normal position of the supporting bar and arm are shown by dotted lines in Figure 4.

After the ram has elevated the articles and wrapper to the solid lineposition of Figure 4, the supporting bar 3 4 rocks into the solid line position, the vertical height of the flanges 21 and 28 being such that the bar 34 clears under them during its .swinging action and the bar being narrower than the distance between the flanges so that it does not interfere with the retraction of the flanges. It will also be noted that the arm 35 is considerably narrower than the length of the supporting bar 34 so that the inner ends of the iianges 21 and '28 will not catch on it. As to Vthe length of the bar, it is somewhat longer than the distance between the center lines 24 as shown diagrammatically in Figure 10. Therefore the supporting bar can support the articles without them Atcppli-ng away from each other -Withintheir wrapper as the ram and its creasing plates 32 are withdrawn downwardly.

After the wrapper and its contents are in the position illustrated in Figures 4 and 9, the ram 25 is retracted downwardly to leave the articles 23 supported on the supporting bar 34. This leaves the articles and the wrapper supported as in Figure 6.

Bottom end flap folder blades 31 areprovided and these are mounted on arms 38 which are pivoted at 39 to levers 40 and 4|. The levers 40 and 4| in turn pivot at 42 and are connected for simultaneous movement in opposite directions by a link43. The arms 38 are provided with cams 44 Supported on rollers 45, all as disclosed in my former Patent :No.'2;283,097.

The blades 3 1 are .moved from the position of Figure 6 to the position of Figure 'I in timed relation with the wrapping machine as disclosed in said patent for folding the bottom end fiaps of the package as illustrated in ythis figure. During thereciprocating motion of the blades, they ,are controlled as toelevation by the kcams 44 and the rollers 44a to properly tuck theend flaps of the wrapper beneath the` articles 23.

Just before the ends of the blades 3.1 reach the ends of the supporting bar 34, the bary is re.- tracted by the wrapping machine mechanism to the dot and dash line position of Figure 4 so that the blades 31 do not strike it. The blades having moved part way now support the package and it is unnecessary for the bar 34 to do so V any longer so it is swung outof the way (dotted position in Figure 4) A rear bottom flap `folder blade 45 is provided sup-ported on an arm 46 as shown in Figure 1 which is operated by a bell crank 41 Vpivoted at y48 on a bracket 43. The bell crank vis operated by a link 53 as disclosed in said patent and the arm 45 is provided with a cam 5| having a lobe 52 which cooperate with a roller 53 on `the bracket 49 for properly tucking the back bottom flap under the blades 31 ,and the package as disclosed in Figure 7 The blade 45 starts to advance -after which the blades 31 are retracted and the package and its contents are then supported on the blade 45 as in Figure -8 with only the front bottom flaps still unfolding. The package is then pushed on to a platform 54 by mechanism which will now be, described.

Above the platform 54,2. take-away conveyor chain 55 is provided which vtravels toward the right in Figure 1 and which isasrnodiiication of a similar arrangement shown in my Patent No. 2,283,097. Spaced brackets 5.6 are mounted on the chain 55 and support pusher plate 51 for the package that is now wrapped as in Figure 8 with the exception of the front bottom iiap.

Pivoted at 58 on each bracket is .a iinger 59 on which is pivotallymounted a pressureshoe 63. The shoe |33 is normallyconstrained to engage the top of the package by a light spring 6|, and a roller 52 mounted on a stationary bracket k(i3 is adapted to coact with a cam-shaped extension 64 on each iinger 59 as shown for the middle oneof the three iingersin Figure l.

Referring to the left hand finger, it will be noted that it has a stopplug 5'5coacting with a stop lug 66 of the bracket 5.3. The arrangement is such that after the cam extension 54 leaves the roller 52, the spring 6| will cause the pressure shoe v|55 to resiliently engage the package with the stop lugs spaced from each other as shown for lthe-right hand one of the three 1ing-ers 53 inFigure -1. This is alsoshown in Figure 8, the purpose being to hold the package with at least light pressure against the platform Et to properly fold the front bottom ap under the end bottom flaps and the back bottom nap in an obvious manner. The wrapper I5 may be of heat scalable material and beyond the platform 56 in that case, it is usual to provide a heating means to seal the package.

From the foregoing specification it will be obvious that I have modified the construction of certain parts of the wrapping machine disclosed in my Patent No. 2,283,697, making it adap-table for wrapping stacks of cookies and the like side-by-side without the necessity of providing .a supporting card for them. The anges 2 and 28 of the elevating ram 25 and the web I9 of the pocket I 8 so overlap each other by reason of the provision of notches 2e and 39 shown in Figure 2 that both the pocket and the ram provide adequate support for the articles against any possibility oi them tipping either toward or away from each other. Then after the rain elevates the articles, the supporting bar 34 likewise so engages the articles that there is no tendency for them to tilt away from each other before the bottom naps of the package are folded into position, the various supporting elements for the articles being wrapped all extending properly beyond their centers of gravity in order to prevent undesirable tipping of the articles when supported on any of the elements. The resulting structure is one that accomplishes the objects contemplated and eiiects an economy in the wrapping of articles in that it eliminates the necessity of providing' a cardboard support for the articles in each package that is wrapped.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my article handling mechanism without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I clairn as my invention:

1. In an article handling mechanism for a wrapping machine having a folding way, a pocket conveyor for conveying the articles to a Wrapping position therebelow, a ram for engaging the articles and elevating them through the folding way, a supporting bar for the articles after they have been moved through the folding way and while the ram is being retracted, and means for supporting the articles in the pocket conveyor, on the ram, and on the supporting bar so that two stacks thereof may be wrapped side-by-side comprising pockets for the pocket conveyor, said pockets extending outwardly from between said two stacks beyond the vertical center lines of said stacks, said ram having vertical supporting flanges for the articles which anges extend from the outer edges of said stacks toward each other beyond said vertical center rNumber lines, the ends of said pockets being notched to permit clearance for said iianges, said flanges being arranged in pairs spaced from each other in the fore and aft direction in the machine, said supporting bar being narrower than the distance between said anges so that it may pass upwardly between the iianges to engage the articles, and said supporting bar being longer than the distance between said vertical center lines.

2. In an article handling mechanism, a pocket conveyor for conveying articles -to a wrapping position in a wrap-ping machine having a folding way, said position being' beiow said folding way, a rain for engaging the articles and moving them upwardly through the folding way, a support for the articles after they have passed through the folding way and while the ram is being retracted, and means for supporting the articles while being handled by said mechanism so that two stacks thereof may be wrapped sideby-side comprising pockets for the conveyor, said pockets extending outwardly beyond the vertical center lines of the two stacks of articles, said rain having supporting means for the articles which extend from opposite sides thereof toward each other and beyond said vertical center lines, the ends of said pockets being notched to perrnit clearance for said supporting means of said ram, and said supporting bar being longer than the distance between said vertical center lines.

3. An article handling mechanism of the character described comprising a pocket conveyor having pockets to receive stacks of articles sideby-side, said pockets being long enough to extend from their centers outwardly beyond the centers of gravity of the two stacks of articles, and. a ram aligned with a pocket of said pocket conveyor for elevating said articles out of said pocket, said ram having supports for the articles which extend from opposite ends of the stack thereof toward each other beyond said centers of gravity, said pockets being notched to clear said ram, said supports on said ram being made in pairs spaced from each other, and a supporting bar for receiving the articles from said ram, said supporting bar being substantially centered end-to-end of the package and narrower than the distance between said ram supports and longer than the distance between said centers of gravity.

OSCAR SANDBERG.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Bracy Jan. 14, 1919 Ekstrom et al. Dec. 7, 1926 Schwartz Jan. 25, 1927 Sandberg July 23, 1940 Kemp, Jr Oct. 12, 1948 

